Means for eliminating divided material in industrial processes



Jan. 7, 1941. J. F. ROCHE, JRL, EI'AL 2,227,465

MEANS FOR ELIMINATING DIVIDED MATERIAL IN INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES Filed June 11, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 7, 1941.

J. F. ROCHE, JR, ET AL 2,227,465

MEANS FOR ELIMINATING DIVIDED MATERIAL IN INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES Filed June 11, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 7, 1941- J.- F. ROCHE, JR., ET AL 2,227,465

'MEANS FOR ELIMINATI'NG DIVIDED MATERIAL IN INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES Filed June 11, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 atented Jan. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES MEANS FOR ELIMINATING DIVIDED MATE- RIAL IN INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES John F. Roche, Jr., Oak Park, and George A.

Harker, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Binks Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application June 11, 1938, Serial No. 213,174

2 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to the elimination of particles, such as dust or fume, from coating processes, or the like, held in suspension or carried in the air or other fluids, so

5 as to free the latter from such foreign matter.

The embodiment chosen to illustrate the invention is shown for elimination of fume in connection with spray booths of the type wherein objects and articles to be coated are sprayed with coating material, usually by spray guns, and wherein there is a passage of air to carry away the fumes and other matter projected past or deflected from the object toward which the spray is directed, also wherein means are provided for the effective and economical reclaiming of the coating material particles that might otherwise be lost or wasted; and further wherein the air is cleansed so that no foreign matter will be discharged in the atmosphere with the cut going air.

The device disclosed is used preferably for the elimination of fumes produced from theuse of pigments, paints, lacquers, vitreous enamels, mixtures of water or other liquids and nonsoluble ground material, such as silicon oxides, ceramic materials; etc.,'by the washing down of the particles with a liquid, such as water, oil, or the like, and the invention comprehends the elimination of both the material and the water or other liquid from the air or other fluid passing from the means where the material is sprayed and the fume is formed, it being understood, however, that while the illustrative embodiment is disclosed in a coating process, the invention is capable of other uses in the industrial arts, wherein foreign matter in the form of suspended particles of dust, fume, or the like, forms or otherwise arises and is carried by the air, or other fluids, to effectan elimination of the foreign matter, as by a washing down and collecting of the foreign matter so as to free the air or other fluid therefrom.

Spray material of the hind mentioned usually adheres to the surfaces contacted by the material, especially to the surfaces of the plates of the air cleaning means, such as filters, eliminators, etc, and soon clogs up the device. This is especially true in devices of the dry cleaning type, and also in those where there is a mere wetting of the surfaces, or an inadequate flow of the liquid, as water, used to clean the air.

By the present invention there is an ample washing, or rather a flushing or flooding of the surfaces with which the fume material would did lid

on contact or impinge whereby the surfaces, as of (Cl. 261li12)' the cleaning plates, are constantly maintained neat and clean, thus preventing any clogging of the air cleaning means, and avoiding shut downs that would otherwise be required because of clogging. One of the objects of the invention is, therefore, to operate the device continuously without any interruption, and still maintain the neat and clean conditions mentioned. A flooding action is obtained instead of an atomizing or spraying action as heretofore. in this way there is a constant and continuous washing or flooding off of the pigments or other particles that would otherwise adhere to or accumulate upon the surfaces, such as the surfaces of the plates of the cleaning or eliminating device. The particles are caught in the iilm or stratum of liquid moving over the surface and are preventedfrom sticking or settling in place. Thus, it will be seen that the present invention is, in nature, a washing down of, the fume particles in a dry type of filter with a flushing or flooding liquid.

it will, of course, be understood that while water has been referred to, by way of illustration, as the cleaning -or washing fluid, other fluids may be used, such as oil and other liquids. it is preferable to so treat the liquid as to be soft, that is, slightly allraline, so as to reduce the tendency of the particles to adhere or otherwise stick to the surface mentioned.

in spray booths of this type there is usually provided a spray compartment in which the spraying operation occurs by directing the sprayed coating material upon the object or article to be coated, also located in the compartment. The compartment is openat the front for inflow of air which passes by the operator and the object, for passage of the air to the rear of the compartment into an air washing chamber -with the particles dropping from the lower end of the apron into the path of the air passing from the compartment to the air washing chamher so that there is'a preliminary washing of the fume-bearing air by the flushing water from the apron. The water may drop in a receptacle where the particles may settle and be reclaimed. It is also usual to have suitable means at the. upper end of the apron for supplying the hushtill ing liquid thereto as inrthe form of a sheet of water flowing down over the face of the apron.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide in connection with a spray booth of the character referred to, or any other device or means used in the industrial arts wherein dust,

fume, or the like is formed in any manner,'

whether from a spraying process or otherwise, a novel means comprising an air cleaning device in the air cleaning chamber communicating at its lower end with the spray compartment of the booth, as at the lower end of the apron. The means comprises a series of horizontally spaced plates extending across the chamber and being so constructed and arranged as to provide among them a plurality of upwardly extending tortuous passages forthe' upward passage therethrough of the fume bearing air, with a novel deflector means, such as a deflector extending across the device, at the top or at the bottom or both, and disposed transversely of the plates and across the openings of the tortuous passages, together with stream projecting means arranged at spaced loci along and opposite the deflecting means for projecting streams of washing fluid thereagainst to scatter the washing fluid into the passages mentioned. The deflector may be V-shaped in cross-section with its ridge or vertex away from the face of the device so that the projected streams may be deflected from both sides of the ridge of the deflector. Also, the deflector may have a plurality of openings with adjacent or otherwise located deflecting elements, for the passage of some of the projected fluid to be scattered into the portions of the tortuous passages opposite the deflector and also for further breaking up the deflected fluid over the deflector to be more extensively scattered. The device may also include a separator located opposite the deflector where the more inactive portions of the tortuous air passages would otherwise be, in which case the deflector may merely have the deflector elements, such as projecting tongues, without the openings or apertures in the deflector as above described, so that such elements will further break up the projected and deflected washing fluid to effect a more distributive scattering thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel device of the kind described, together with an eliminator which is preferably in spaced relation above the air washing device and serves for eliminating the water or moisture from the air before it passes out to the atmosphere. The eliminator may be of the type disclosed in the copending application of Eric Gustafsson, filed December 1, 1937, under Serial No. 177,563.

.An important feature of the invention is the way of distribtuing the cleaning fluid. The use usual device because the. water jets-must be projected under high pressure, and also because the water, which is drawn from the catch basin or receptacle beneath the apron and the washing chamber, carries some of the particles of the fume material.

In the present invention there are as few stream discharging means as possible and practical, which have larger openings or oriflces for the flow therethrough of a comparatively large amount of water, or other liquid, per unit of time, so as to pour over or flood a large area surface at comparatively low pressure. In previous cases the necessary pressures 'at the nozzles were in the range of from 20 to 30 pounds per square inch, but in the device of the present invention the water pressure runs from about 8 to 15 pounds for the flooding action necessary for washing the air and preventing the adhering of the particles to the surfaces of the device. Also, there is much less power required to circulate the water.

The stream projecting tubes are large and have straight bores with the outlet ends fairly close to the ridge of the deflector plate, so that the stream will impinge the ridge portion of the deflector plate evenly for even deflection of the water on both sidesof the ridge. If the outlets were further away .the projected stream would spread before impingement with the deflector and evenness of impact and deflection would not be obtained.

The invention also comprehends, when used in connection with a spray booth in the coating I art, the provision of novel water distributing means for supplying the water for flushing or flooding the apron, in the form of a curtain, from the means for projecting the streams against the deflectors. At the upper portion of the apron a trough is provided with a discharge opening, such as a slot, adjacent the upper portion of the apron. The stream projecting means also has means for projecting water to or into the trough to supply water for flushing or flooding the apron. The trough has an upwardly'extending side wall forwardly spaced from the upper portion of the apron, the latter portion forming the other side wall of the trough, with the former side wall at a higher level than the latter so that streams of water are projected forwardly and upwardly against the forward wall portions of the trough where the water then flows down into the trough and is discharged therefrom to flush or flood the apron. The projecting means has a discharge tube of large capacity and a distributor plate so constructed and arranged as to project the water in a wide fan-shaped sheet or the like for substantially even or uniform distribution of the water throughout the length of the trough.

These curtain water distributors have large capacity discharge tubes with large outlet passages or orifices so that there will be no chance of the material particles carried by the water or other liquid used to adhere to the surfaces of the passages, accumulate and clog them, and the distributor plates are so located as to give a wide spread to the issuing stream so that the water will be uniformly distributed along the whole length of the trough.

Another feature of the invention is the provislon of novel plates in the washing device and among which are provided the tortuous air passages. These plates are bent at sharper angles than heretofore so as to increase the total length of the tortuous passage besides also making the course of travel of the air take more abrupt changes or turns whereby there will be a more thorough cleaning of the air both by the increased impingements with the surfaces of the plates and the greater surface contact of the scattered water from the deflectors with the air.

Other objects, advantageacapabilities, features, and the like are comprehended by the invention, as will later appear and as are inherently possessed by the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a frontelevational View of a spray booth which may be used in connection withthc invention, and showing parts broken away to show the interior construction;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view in a vertical plane of the same with parts shown in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary art sectional and part elevational view of the air washing device and the means for distributing curtain or flushing water for the apron;

Fig. i is a similar view taken transversely of the structure shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig; 3 but showing the use of a separator in the air washing device;

Figs. 6 and 7- are elevational views of different forms of separators and deflectors that may be used in lieu of those shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a similar view of a separator having more peaked upper and lower ends than shown in Figs. 6 and 7;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary'sectional view on an enlarged scale of a separator and associated defiecting means as shown in Fig. 7;

Figs. 10 and 11 are fragmentary plan views of different forms of deflector plates showing different relations of the deflector elements carried by the plates; and a Fig. 12 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of a curtain water distributor.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the embodiments selected to illustrate the invention are shown in connection with a spray booth structure used in the coating art, and which may be made of sheet metal, comprising a booth or compartment I having a front opening or door 2', a ceiling 3, a rear wall in the form of an apron 4 over the front face of which may flow a sheet or curtain 5 of water or other liquid from a trough t formed between an upwardly extending portion ii of the apron or rear wall, and a forwardly spaced and upwardly extending wall B'suitably secured to the lower portion of a front wall 9 of an air uptake later described, the lower end of the wall 8 being so spaced from the upper portion of the apron 4 as to provide an elongated discharge outlet I0 for the trough and adjacent such upper end portion of the apron for discharge of the flushing water, in the form of a sheet or curtain, over the face of the apron. The wall 8 extends up at a higher level than the upper end portion 1 of the apron for a purpose later disclosed.

The lower end of the apron 4 has a downwardly and. rearwardly curved portion H from which the water flowing down over the apron drops into a receptacle or settling tank I2 located at the lower end of an air uptake I3 having a chamber M, which tank i2 extends forwardly into the is connected by way of a valved intake IE to a circulating pump I 1 having an outlet or discharge duct iB, which duct is connected to a valved supply pipe I9 and also to a valved connecting pipe leading to a manifold 2i. To this manifold are connected pipes 22 and 23 which extend through a side wall of the air uptake i3 and transversely across the chamber I4, the other ends of the pipes 22 and 23 being closed by pipe caps 22 and 23 (Fig. 1). These pipes are vertically spaced for the inclusion therebetween of the air washing device later more fully described, and have spaced stream projecting tubes 24 and 25 for projecting streams of water toward the air washing device, the tubes 24 being directed downward and the tubes '25 being directed upward, as shown.

bent plates 26 among which are provided up-' wardly extending tortuous passages 21 through which the uprising fume laden or bearing air passes. This series of plates extends across the chamber I4 from side to side and the plates as an aggregate extend in a transverse direction with the forward and rear ends of the aggregate, respectively resting upon angle brackets 28 and 29 respectively secured to the front and rear walls of the uptake [3, the apron 4 in this case constituting such front wall.

The uptake [3 extends upward to enclose an eliminator chamber 30 in which is disposed an eliminator 3| composed of spaced angular or bent plates similar to those of the cleaning device in the chamber l4, the eliminator being similarly supported on forward and rear angle brackets 32 and 33 respectively secured to the front wall I9 and the rear wall 9 of the chamber portion of the uptake. Extending upwardly from the chamber 30 is a duct 34 leading to the atmosphere or the like. In this duct is provided an exhaust fan 35 driven by a belt 36 operatively connected to a motor 3'! mounted on the rear wall or side of the duct 34.

The article to be sprayed is suitably supported in the spraying zone 38 in the booth compartment l in such position as to direct the spray from a spray gun appliance 39 normally held in the hand of the operator who generally stands in the doorway 2, or near thereto, of the booth.

Referring to the air cleaner or washer, shown more in detail in Fig. 4, it will be noted that each of the plates 26 comprises vertically spaced upright flanges 4|] and 4| and an intermediate acute angular portion 42 extending laterally as shown. The angle of the angular portion is preferably not greater than 60. Heretofore, such angle has been about 90. By making the angle less, as

about or less than 60, the altitude of theangular portion is greater and the air path between the plates is thus greatly increased. Also, the passage of air is made to take more abrupt turns. Moreover, the vertical height of the device may also be reduced without shortening the total length of the air passage between the plates.

Above and below the washing device and ex tending across the upper and lower edges of the plates 26 are located deflector plates 43 and 44, which are preferably V-shaped in cross-section was to provide ridges or vertices 45 and disposed away from the surfaces, in general, of the device, and with the base edges of the deflector plates engaging the edges of the plates 26, above and below respectively and as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The pipes 22 and 23 are in spaced parallel relation with the ridges and 45 respectively, and the stream projecting tubes 24 and 25 extend toward the ridges with the outlets thereof fairly close to the ridges and centered therewith, that is, with the axes of the tubes 24 and 25 intersecting the ridges so that the streams issuing from the tubes will be evenly distributed on both sides of the ridges to be deflected over the inclined faces of the deflector plates. It will be noted that the bores or orifices 41 and 48 (Fig. 3) are comparatively large so as to afford free passage of the water and to prevent accumulation of material particles and the consequent clogging-up of the bores.

Each of the deflector plates is provided with a plurality of deflector elements 49 or 49 (see also Figs. 10 and 11) which extend outwardly from 4 'the inclined surfaces of the plates.

These elements may be formed by partial punchings whereby perforations or apertures or 5|! are provided in the plate with the projections 49 or 49 in the form of outstanding tongues or the like. The holes 50 or 50 also serve for the passage of water therethrough into the portions of the air passages 21 located opposite the deflector plates.

As the water streams issue from the tubes 24 and 25, they divide equally on the ridges and the stream halves are deflected in widely diverging sheets over both inclined surfaces of each deflector plate. As these sheets of water move rapidly toward the bases of the plates they encounter the deflector elements 49 or 49 so as to be further deflected in smaller divergent sheets of water so that by the time these numerous sheets of water reach the mouths of the passages 21 and are projected thereinto, the water has been scattered and widely distributed in practically all directions in a more or less uniform amount. In this way, the surfaces of plates 26 receive the water in ample amount over every part and portion of the plates so that there is a thorough and eflicient flooding of such surfaces besides thoroughly washing the air passing upwardly in the tortuous passages 21.

In Fig. 10, the deflecting elements 49 are shown as all facing the same way, that is, in parallel, but in Fig. 11 the elements 49 are disposed at different angles, or, so as to say, facing the tube 24 'or 25, as the case may be. When the water sheet passing over the inclined face of the deflector plate encounters these elements, the water streams are resolved into sub-streams flowing fromthe sides of the deflector elements in diverging sheet-like streams, one ateach side of each element, as shown in Figs. 10 and 111.

At the same time, some of the water is deflected by each deflector element into the adjacent hole 50 or 50* to be scattered into the portions of the passages 21 located opposite the deflector plate. However, the deflector plate cuts of! a considerable amount of the water that would otherwise enter into such portio of the passages 21, and, therefore, a separ tor may be interposed between thedeflector'plates, as shown in Fig. 5.

In the form of device shown in Fig. 5, a sepa rator 5|, in the form of a hollow rectangular box. I

is located in the washing device between the de flector.plates43 and 44, the separator having top and bottom walls 52 and 52, respectively; opposite the plates 42 and 44. In this case the plates 26 do not extend clear across but are shorter and have their inner ends abutting the sidewalls of the separator 5|. Also, the holes in the deflector plate may be omitted or filled, or blanked off, so as not to waste water that would otherwise pass through such holes into the triangular space between the deflector plate and the end wall 52 or 53 of the separator. For the purpose of permitting adjustment of the deflector plate, transversely, it

is preferable to have the end walls 52 and 53 flat or so formed as not to interfere with such adjustment.

In Figs. 7 and 9 there is shown an auxiliary V-shaped plate 54 within the deflector plate 43 so as to blank off or block oif the holes 50 to prevent passage and wastage of water therethrough, and still the deflector plate with the auxiliary plate may be adjusted as described above.

However, the upper and lower ends or walls of the separator may be peaked to fit flush with the deflector plate. As shown in Fig. 6, the separator 5| has upper and lower peaked walls 55 and 56 against which the deflector plates 43 and 44 seat.

While the angle of the deflector plate has been shown in most cases as obtuse, such angle may be less obtuse or even acute. Hence, in Fig. 8 the deflector plate 51 is shown much more peaked and of less than 90.

The water or liquid distributing means for supplying the curtain water comprises curved ducts 58 (see Fig. 12) connected to the pipe 24 and having a water projecting tube 59 provided with a. large bore 60 for directing a large diameter stream of liquid upwardly and forwardly toward the wall portion 8 of the trough 6 (Fig. 2). To the outlet end portion of the tube 59 is connected a hub 5| carrying a distributor plate 62 against which the round stream of water impinges and is resolved into a widely diverging sheet of water (see Fig. 4) so that the water will be uniformly distributed along the wall 8 above the trough 6. The water, after impinging the wall 8, then falls into the trough 5 and flows down through the outlet in the bottom of the trough into the form of a curtain of water 5, over the front face of the apron 4 to flush such face.

In operation the fume laden air passes upwardly in the chamber I4 and through the tortuous passages 21 where the air meets a flood of washing liquid whereby the particles are carried down by the water dropping down in the chamber l4 and into the receptacle l2 to settle therein. The water in the tank I2 is circulated by way of the pump I! to the stream projecting tubes 22 and 23 whence the streams are deflected over the deflecting plates and by the deflecting elements to be resolved intoa. multiplicity of widely divergent sheet-like streams which pour into the passages 21 and impinge the plates 28 to thoroughly wash the air.

At the same time, liquid is projected by the disin the form oi dust, or cloud, or the like, and the term water" is used generically to cover any fluid, such as oil, or any liquid chemical, or an emulsion or colloid, or the like, or even a gaseous fluid or-vapor, and the term booth is used generically to include any device used in the industrial arts wherein the divided matter is formed or arises as a result or incidental to the particular process being used.

While we have hereindescribed and uponthe drawings shown a few illustrative embodiments of the invention, it isto be understood that the invention is not' limited thereto but comprehends other constructions, details, arrangements of parts, features, and the like without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed the invention,

We claim:

1. An eliminator for divided material formed during a process in the industrial arts wherein the material is carried by a stream of air passing through the means for carrying out the process; comprising a cleaning chamber in communication with such means, an air cleaning device in said chamber and comprising a series of horizontally spaced plates extending across the chamber and being so constructed and arranged as to provide among them a plurality of upwardly extending tortuous passages for the upward passage therethrough oi the materialbearing air, a. deflector extending over the upper side of said device and transversely across said plates and the upper opening of said passages, a deflector extending along the underside of said device transversely of said plates and across the lower openings of said es, and fluid stream projecting means located opposite said upper and lower deflectors for projecting streams of washing fluid downwardly.against the upper deflector and upwardly against the lower deflector to distributively scatter the fluid downwardly and upwardly into said passages.

2. An eliminator for divided material formed beer and being so constructed and arranged as to provide among them a plurality of upwardly extending tortuous passages for the upward pas sage therethrough of the material bearing air, a deflector extending over the upper side of said device and transversely across said plates and the upper opening of said passages, a deflector extending along the under side of said device transversely of said plates and across the lower. openings' of said passages, and fluid stream projecting means located opposite said upper and lower deflectors for projecting streams of washing fluid downwardly against the upper deflector and upwardly against the lower deflector to distributively scatter the fluid downwardly and upwardly.

into said passages, said deflectors being provided with pluralities of spaced deflector elements for further deflecting some of the deflected fluid into a plurality of divergent streams for a. distributive scattering of fluid into said tortuous passage.

JOHN F. ROCHE, JR. 7 GEORGE A. mm. 

